The cast of Southern Charm didn’t exactly leave things in a good place when last we saw them on TV. During the Season 7 reunion special that aired in February of 2021, Craig Conover had accused Madison LeCroy of sleeping with a famous MLB player (later to be named as Alex Rodriguez). She affirmed that they had casually chatted on the phone but never actually hooked up. (A-Rod denied any contact whatsoever.) The Bravo co-stars’ beef over the matter is believed to spill over into the upcoming eighth season and, ahead of its premiere, LeCroy shared some honest thoughts on Conover’s new girlfriend.
Viewers will recognize the woman in question, Paige DeSorbo, from her tenure on Summer House, also on the Bravo network. She and Craig Conover have only been dating a little less than a year, yet DeSorbo once confessed that she first fell for the fellow reality star after watching Southern Charm when it originally premiered back in 2014. She will appear on Conover’s show in Season 8 – and as a fan, you would think she didn’t much get along with Madison LeCroy, given the shaky history there. According to LeCroy, though, that is definitely not the case. She said during her latest Amazon Live event:
Huge fan. Love Paige. I think she’s adorable, she can do no wrong. I hope Craig is good, I know he loves her. But I love her. I hope they stay together because I want her around more often.
Apparently, the two women bonded while filming the reality series together. And the good rapport seems to have helped the dynamic with Craig Conover because the former enemies were spotted in May doing a friendly TikTok together. The real drama in Season 8 for Conover is evidently having to film with his ex-girlfriend/ex-co-star again, Naomie Olindo, who has returned after a lengthy absence. He had previously claimed that they worked things out during the season but, in the show’s trailer, he shockingly stated that they had hooked up “recently.” Meanwhile, Paige DeSorbo is heard telling him that hanging out with an ex is “inappropriate.”
It sounds messy, but that’s Southern Charm for you. Madison LeCroy has taken a step back from the drama herself (if only slightly) by signing on as only a “friend of the show” for Season 8. During her live, she said that she was trying to “avoid confrontations at all costs,” adding that her “priorities have changed tremendously.” (Still, that hasn’t stopped her from clashing with co-stars over the old A-Rod fling rumors coming up again.)
Presumably, she's referring to the priorities of being engaged to the new (and more private) guy in her life, Brett Randle. He didn’t opt to appear on the reality show this year because it just “isn’t his thing.” However, the starlet teased during the live that Randle might “possibly join in the future” because of how much more comfortable he got after seeing how filming unfolds.
Yet, I’m not quite sure Brett Randle and I were watching the same trailer for Southern Charm Season 8. Because from what I saw, it seems like the relationship troubles are at an all-time high again. Craig Conover and Austen Kroll looked like they were in a bonafide brawl, Kroll and Shep Rose were arguing over a girlfriend again (cue the Madison LeCroy flashbacks), and even Kathryn Dennis is apparently having issues with her new boyfriend (along with the reported child custody issues). With all the fractures becoming public knowledge, who then becomes more comfortable with the idea of filming?
I don’t know, I guess filming reality TV wouldn’t be “my thing,” either. Better to just watch, eh? We’ll find out more details about the dynamic between Madison LeCroy, Craig Conover and Paige DeSorbo and more when Season 8 of Southern Charm premieres on Bravo on June 23 at 9 p.m. EST. The show is also available next day with Peacock Premium.
